1. Field of the Invention
One aspect of the invention relates to an information processing apparatus for performing information retrieval based on information of a selected character string.
2. Description of the Related Art
As this type information retrieval technique, there is disclosed a technique in JP-A-2008-117161.
The relevant site search program disclosed in JP-A-2008-117161 is a program for operating a computer connected to the Internet or Intranet to serve as a computer which at least includes: a character string selection unit which selects one from character strings displayed on a display module; a retrieval unit which retrieves relevant sites based on information of the selected character string; and a relevant site information output unit which displays information concerned with the relevant sites on the display module.
The character string selection unit has a mouse monitoring unit which monitors a click button operation and a dragging operation of a mouse. Hence, according to the technique disclosed in JP-A-2008-117161, a user can select an arbitrary character string from character strings (text sentences, etc.) displayed on a display module such as a monitor by operating the mouse and can search for relevant sites easily based on the selected character string.
A smaller-size apparatus has been recently developed as a portable information processing apparatus such as a mobile phone, a Portable Digital Assistant (PDA), etc. For example, some portable information processing apparatus employs such a touch panel that an input device and a display device are integrated with each other to thereby reduce the total size of the information processing apparatus. In most cases, the display device built in this type portable information processing apparatus is smaller than the display device provided in a stationary information processing apparatus such as a desk-top personal computer, etc.
In the background art, however, there is no consideration about the case where a partial character string is selected from character strings displayed on this type small display device. For this reason, the portable information processing apparatus according to the related art is lacking in user-friendliness because the apparatus has a high possibility that the user will make a wrong operation at selection of a character string. When, for example, the related art is used, the user is forced to do a delicate operation of selecting a desired character string from character strings displayed on a small display device because the user has to use the small-size portable information processing apparatus for selecting such a desired character string. Particularly when the portable information processing apparatus employs a touch panel, the user has to do an operation of selecting such a desired character string by tracing one of character strings displayed on the small display device with a user's finger but it is difficult for the user to do the operation accurately because the size of a character is often smaller than the width of a user's fingertip.